8 May 2026 We are proceeding to study the SERMON of YESHUA on the MOUNT…
THE GOSPELS: The Ministry of Yeshua the Messiah begins – Luke 4:14 THE POWER of THE HOLY SPIRIT from the Book of Judges to Nehemiah
23 May 2025
We are studying Luke 4:14-32, Mathew 4:12, Mark 1:14-15 about the beginning of the MINISTRY of YESHUA THE MESSIAH. And we are still focusing on Luke 4:14. Last week we explored the POWER of THE HOLY PSIRIT from Genesis to 2 Samuel and today we are exploring from the Book of Judges to Nehemiah with the same purpose.
We are mainly reading from the Complete Jewish Study Bible – insight for Jews and Christians. And use the Hebrew name of God, YHVH (Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh) where the word LORD in English is indicated in capital letters in the Scriptures, also referring to Him as Abba Father and use the Hebrew Name Yeshua the Messiah instead of the English Name Jesus Christ translated from the Greek.
In Luke 4:14 we read: “Yeshua returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) and reports of Him spread throughout the countryside.”
So, let’s delve into Abba’s Word to see what we can learn more about His wonderful and POWERFUL SPIRIT.
In Judges Chapter 3 we read about the nations which YHVH allowed to remain, in order to put to the TEST ALL THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL who had not known the wars with Canaan so that they might LEARN about it. These nations consisted of the five chiefs (rulers) of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who lived in the hills of the LEBANON between MOUNT BA’AL-HERMON the entrance of HAMAT. THEY STAY THERE TO TEST WHETHER ISRAEL WOULD PAY ATTENTION TO THE MITZVOT (THE COMMANDMENTS) OF YHVH, WHICH THROUGH MOSES, HE HAD ORDERED THEIR ANCESTORS TO OBEY. So the PEOPLE OF ISRAEL lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (you will remember from previous messages that these were all descendants from Ham, Noah’s son according to Genesis 10:6-20, who followed other small letter gods). And the ISRALEITES took their daughters as their wives, giving in return their daughters to their sons and SERVING THEIR (small letter) gods. THUS, the people of ISRAEL did what was EVIL form YHVH’s perspective and they FORGOT THEIR GOD and serves the ba’alim (the Baals – the small letter gods of Canaan) and the asherim (these were sacred trees/ poles associated with the goddess Asherah). Therefore, the ANGER of YHVH BLAZED AGAINST ISRAEL, and HE GAVE THEM OVER into the hands of their enemies, the king of ARAM (associated with present day Syria, the capital city of Aram was Damascus) and the PEOPLE OF ISRAEL had to serve him EIGHT YEARS. And then in Judges 3: 9-10 we read: “But when the people of ISRAEL cried out to YHVH, YHVH RAISED UP a (small letter) savior for the people of ISRAEL; and he rescued them; this was Otniel, the son of Kenaz, younger brother of Caleb. The SPIRIT (the Holy Spirit) of YHVH came upon him, and he JUDGED ISRAEL (he became a JUDGE). Then he went out to WAR, and YHVH gave Cusan-Rishathaim king of Aram into his hands; his POWER prevailed against Cusan-Rishathaim. So the LAND had REST for FORTY YEARS, until Otniel the son of Kenaz died.”
Then in Judges Chapter 6 the pattern proceeds, the PEOPLE of ISRAEL again did what was EVIL, so YHVH handed them over to MIDIAN for SEVEN YEARS and Midian exercised its power HARHLY over ISRAEL and the people of ISRAEL hid themselves in the mountains in caves and in other safe places. And the Midianites together with Amalek destroyed the produce of the country and left nothing for the people to live on, no sheep, oxen or donkeys and ISRAEL became very discouraged because of MIDIAN, and they CRIED out to YHVH. And He then sent a prophet and raised up Gideon to SAVE ISRAEL. Gideon destroyed his father’s altar of Baal and cut down the SACRED POLES (these poles represented Asherah, the Canaanite goddess of fertility – the sacred pole was a wooden symbol of the goddess Asherah). And Midian and Amalek and others from the east joined forces, crossed the Jorden and set up camp in the Jezreel valley but we read Judges 6:34: “…the SPIRIT of YHVH COVERED Gideon (Gideon was from the tribe of Manasseh – see Judges 6:14-16). He sounded the CALL on the SHOFAR (sounding the trumpet – this served as a way of calling the tribes of ISRAEL together for WAR against their enemies), and Abiezrites rallied (united) behind him. He sent messengers throughout Manasseh, and they too rallied behind him. He also sent messengers to Asher, Zebulon and Naftali; and they came up to join him (when the Israelites entered the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua and after the conquest of key cities, such as Jericho, the Land was divided among the TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, with each tribe responsible for their own area driving out the idol-worshipping inhabitants of the land as God commanded).
We also see another example in Judges Chapter 11 where YHVH raised up a BRAVE SOLDIER from GILEAD named Jephthah. And we read in Judges 11:29 “Then the SPIRIT of YHVH came on Jephthah, He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Amorites.”
In Judges 13 we read the PEOPLE OF ISRAEL again did from YHVH’s perspective YHVH and He handed them over to the PHILSTINES for FORTY YEARS. And then God promised a son in the tribe of DAN to BEGIN to RESCUE ISRAEL form the power (the control, the rule) of the Philistines. Samson was conceived from a previously childless couple and we read in Judges 13:24-25 “The woman bore a son and called him Samson. The child grew, and YHVH BLESSED him. The SPIRIT of YHVH began to stir him (to wake him up) when he was in the Camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. And in Judges 14 we read about Samson wanting a Philistine woman whom he saw in Timnah, This seems awkward from a human perspective that Samson wanted a wife who was part of the enemies of Israel and his father and mother also confronted him about this, but we see in verse 4 that this was part of YHVH’s plan for seeking ground for a quarrel with the Philistines. We must again REMEMBER: EVERYTHING IS UNDER HIS CONTROL (read Isaiah 14:24, Isaiah 45:6-7, Psalm 115:3, Proverbs 16:9 and 19:21 and Colossians 1:15-17) and HE KNOWS the END of all things from the BEGINNING (read Isaiah 46:10) and HE LET ALL THINGS work out according to HIS PURPOSES and for the GOOD of those who LOVE HIM (Romans 8:28) and that sometimes INLCUDE DISCIPLINING us and TESTING us (Hebrews 12:4-12).
And in Judges 13:5-6 we read: ‘Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah. When they came to the vineyards of Timnah, a YOUNG LION ROARED at him. The SPIRIT of YHVH came POWERFULLY upon Samson, and BAREHANDED he tore the lion to pieces as easily as if it had been a young goat.” (This reminds one of Psalm 91:1-2 & 13 that those who live in the shelter of the MOST HIGH, who spend their nights in the shadow of the ALMIGHTY who say YHVH, my REFUGE! My FORTRESS! My GOD, in whom I trust! …will TREAD on LIONS and SNAKES, YOUNG LIONS and SERPENTS you will trample under foot).” Also read verse Judges 14:19 and Judges 15:14 about the POWER that Samson had when the SPIRIT of YHVH came upon him.
In 2nd Chronicles we see God raises people up to prophesy to kings AGAINST idolatry. We read in 2nd Chronicles 15 of King Asa, king of Judah who did what was GOOD and RIGHT from the perspective of YHVH his God for he removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashing the STANDING-STONES (pillars) and chopping down the SACRED POLES (used for Asherah worship). He ordered Judah to SEEK YHVH, the God of their ancestors and to OBEY the TORAH (Genesis to Deuteronomy) and the MITZVAH (THE TEN COMMANDMENTS as summary of the TORAH). He removed the high places and PILLARS of sun-worship from all the cities of Judah and under him the KINGDOM WAS QUIET (peaceful), he had NO WAR, YHVH had GIVEN him REST. We however see he built fortified cities in Judah, and he had an army of 300,000 men from Judah and 280,000 from Benjamin but then Zerah the Cushite (an Ethiopian) came out to attack them with one million and three hundred chariots. And ASA cried out to YHVH and YHVH struck the Ethiopians, and they fled. And we then we read in 2nd Chronicles 15:1-6 “The SPIRIT of YHVH came on Azariah the son of ODED; he went out to meet ASA and said to him. ‘Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin (the South Kingdom, in the New Testament known as the Jews)! YHVH is with you, as long as you are with him; if you SEEK HIM, YOU WILL FIND HIM; but IF you ABANDON HIM, HE WILL ABNADON you! For a long time, ISRAEL was WITHOUT a priest WHO COULD TEACH, and WITHOUT TORAH (the Word of YHVH in Genesis to Deuteronomy). BUT when in distress, THEY TURNED TO YHVH the GOD of ISRAEL and SOUGHT HIM, THEY FOUND HIM. In those times people going about their business were insecure, and great disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands; so, they were shattered to pieces, nation against nation and city against city, as GOD TROUBLED THEM WITH EVERY KIND OF DISTRESS. BUT YOU, BE STRONG, AND DON’T SLACK OFF; FOR YOUR WORK WILL BE REWARDED.”
In 2 Chronicles 24 we read about king Joash who was seven years old when he became king over Judah and he reigned for FORTY YEARS, and he did what was RIGHT from YHVH’s perspective throughout the lifetime of the PRIEST JEHOIADA. And Joash even restored the HOUSE OF GOD, the Temple but when the PRIEST JEHOIADA died at 130 years of age, the LEADERS of JUDAH came, and king Joash LISTENED to them and they ABANDONED the HOUSE OF YHVH the God of their ancestors and served the sacred poles and the idols. GOD’s ANGER fell on them. And in spite of that He sent them prophets to bring them back to YHVH; they WARNED them, BUT THEY WOULDN’T PAY ATTENTION.
And then we read in 2nd Chronicles 24:20 “The SPIRIT of GOD COVERED Zechariah the son of JEHOIADA the PRIEST; he stood above the people and addressed them: “ ‘Thus says God: WHY ARE YOU TRANSGRESSING THE MITZVOT (COMMANDMENTS) OF YHVH AND COURTING (wooing, encouraging, pursuing) DISASTER (tragedy, ruin, adversity, hardship, danger, calamity)? BECAUSE YOU HAVE ABANDONED YHVH, HE HAS ABANDONED YOU.” And sadly, we see to their OWN DETRIMENT, instead of LISTENING they conspired against Zechariah and STONED him to DEATH at the order of the king (Joash) in the courtyard of the HOUSE of YHVH (the Temple) and we further read in verses 23-25 Joash and his people were attacked by the army of ARAM and Joash was seriously wounded and he was killed by his own servants in his bed. What a tragedy of a king that started out very well but miserably failed in the end because he chose to follow people instead of staying faithful to YHVH His God.
In the Book of Nehemiah, we read about the rebuilding of the wall around the city of Jerusalem and the people resettling in Jerusalem after their captivity. And Nehemiah encourages the new nation to TRUST and OBEY God. In chapter 9 the PEOPLE are ASSEMBLING for a FAST with the purpose of confessing their own sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. And as in several other Books of the Bible (like Psalm 105, Acts chapter 7, Romans 15:4 and 1 Corinthians chapter 10) we get an overview about the Israelites journey through the desert to the Promised Land. And in Nehemiah 9:6-31 we read:
“You are YHVH, You ALONE. You made heaven, the HEAVENS, with all their array, the EARTH and ALLT HE THINGS that are in it, the SEAS and ALL that is in them; AND YOU PRESERVE THEM ALL. The ARMY of HEAVEN WORSHIPS YOU.
You are YHVH, the GOD who chose ABRAM, brought him out of UR of the Chaldeans and gave him the name of ABRAHAM. Finding that he was FAITHFUL TO YOU, YOU MADE A COVENANT WITH HIM to give the LAND of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites and Perizzites, the Jebusites and the Girgashites to give to his descendants; and YOU HAVE DONE WHAT YOU PROMISED, because YOU ARE JUST.
You saw the DISTRESS of our ancestors in Egypt and HEARD THEIR CRY by the RED SEA. YOU PERFORMED SIGNS and WONDERS against Pharaoh, against all his servants and the people of the land; for YOU KNEW how arrogantly they treated them; and YOU WON YOURSELF A NAME WHICH IS YOURS TO THIS DAY. YOU DIVIDED the sea ahead of them, so that they could PASS THRUGH the sea on dry land; THEN YOU HURLED their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into turbulent waters.
In a COLUMN OF CLOUD, YOU LED THEM DAY by DAY, and NIGHT by NIGHT in a COLUMN OF FIRE, so that they would HAVE LIGHT AHEAD of them on THE WAY THAT THEY WERE TO GO.
And we further read from Nehemiah 9:13-31” YOU DESCENED on Mount Sinai and SPOKE with them FROM HEAVEN. YOU GAVE them RIGHT RULINGS and TRUE TEACHINGS, GOOD LAWS and MITZVOT (COMMANDMENTS). YOU REVELAED to them YOUR HOLY SHABBAT (the SEVENTH DAY SABBATH) and gave them MITZVOT (COMMANDMENTS), LAWS and the TORAH (Genesis to Deuteronomy) through Moses YOUR servant.
For their hunger YOU GAVE BREAD FROM HEAVEN; for their THIRST YOU BROUGHT FORTH for them WATER FROM THE ROCK. YOU ORDERED them to ENER and POSSESS the LAND YOU HAD SWORN WITH YOUR HAND TO GIVE THEM.
But they and our ancestors were arrogant; they stiffened their necks and ignored your MITZVOT (TEN COMMANDMENTS); they REFUSED TO LSITEN and paid NO ATTNETION to the OWNDERS YOU HAD DONE among them. No, they stiffened their necks, and in their REBELLION appointed a leader to return them to THEIR SLAVERY (bondage, captivity, oppression). BUT BECAUSE YOU ARE A GOD OF FORGIVENESS, MERCIFUL, FULL OF COMPASSION, SLOW TO GROW ANGRY AND FULL OF GRACE, YOU DID NOT ABANDON THEM. Even when they cast themselves a metal calf, saying of it, ‘This is your (small letter) god that brought you up from Egypt,’ and committing other gross provocations; STILL YOU, IN YOUR GREAT COMPASSION, DID NOT ABANDON THEM in the desert. THE COLUMN OF CLOUD DID NOT LEAVE THEM BY DAY; IT KEPT LEADING THEM ALONG THE WAY. BY NIGHT THE COLUMN OF FIR KEPT SHOWING THEM LIGHT AND THE PATH TO TAKE. YOU ALSO GAVE YOUR GOOD SPIRIT TO TEACH THEM, (verse 20) did not withhold MANNA from their mouths and PROVIDED them WATER to quench their thirst. Yes, FORTY YEARS YOU SUSTAINED THEM in the desert; they LACKED NOTHING – their clothes did not wear out; their feet did not swell up.
YOU GAVE them kingdoms and peoples; YOU even gave them extra land, so they took possession of the land Sihon, also the land of the king of Heshbon (this was the land of an Amorite king Sihon, located east of the Jordan River which included former land of the Moabites which he took over) and the land of Og, king of Bashan (who was an Amorite and a giant man, read Deuteronomy 3:11). YOU MADE their children numerous as the countless stars in the sky.
Then YOU brought them into the land about which you said to their father’s that they should go in and take possession of it. So their children went in and possessed the land, as YOU SUBDUED AHEAD OF THEM the Canaanites living in the land and handed them over to them. Along with their kings and the peoples of the land, for them to do with as they wished. They took fortified cities and fertile and, possessed houses full of kinds of good things, dug-out cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, fruit trees in plenty; as they ate their fill and grew robust, luxuriating (enjoying, indulging) in your great goodness.
Yet they DISOBEYED and REBELLED against YOU, THROWING YOUR TORAH (Genesis to Deuteronomy summed up in the Ten Commandments) BEHIND THEIR BACKS. They killed YOUR prophets for WARNING them that they should RETURN TO YOU and committed other gross provocations. So YOU HANDED THEM OVER TO THE POWER OF THEIR ADVERSARIES (their enemies), WHO OPRESSED THEM. Yet IN THIME OF THEIR TROUBLE, WHEN THEY CRIED OUT TO YOU, YOU HEARD FROM HEAVEN, AND IN KEEPING WITH YOUR GREAT COMPASSION, YOU GAVE THEM (small letter saviors) SAVIOURS TO SAV E THEM FROM THE POWER OF THEIR ADVERSARIES (enemies). But as soon as they had gotten relief, they went back to do evil BEFORE YOU. So YOU LEFT THEM IN THE POWER OF THEIR ENEMIES, who came down hard on them. YET WHEN THEY RETURNED AND CRIED OUT TO YOU, YOU HEARD FORM HEAVEN MANY TIMES AND SAVED THEM, ACCORDING TO YOUR COMPASSION. YOU WARNED THEM, IN ORDER TO BRING THEM BACK TO YOUR TORAH; yet they were ARROGANT. They paid NO ATTENTION to YOUR MITZVOT (commandments), but SINNED AGAINST YOUR RULINGS, which, if a person does them, he WILL HAVE LIFE THROUGH THEM. However, they STUBBORNLY TURNED THEIR SHUOLDERS, STIFFENED THEIR NECKS and REFUSED TO HEAR. MANY YEARS YOU WARNED THEM BY YOUR SPIRIT THROUGH YOUR PROPHETS; (verse 30); yet they would NOT LSITEN. Therefore, YOU handed them over to the peoples of the lands. Even so, IN YOUR GREAT COMPASSION, YOU DIDN’T COMPLETELY DESTROY THEM; NOR DID YOU ABANDON THEM, FOR YOU ARE A COMPASSIONATE AND MERCIFUL GOD